Our literal neighbors

I posted this blog on Theolog this week: 

A while back, CCblogger David Henson made the case here that we are too quick to turn the term “neighbor” into an abstraction. “Everyone’s my neighbor?” he asked. “That’s just another way of saying no one is.”

A group of churches in northwest Denver recently took up the challenge to interpret the word “neighbor” as literally as possible. During the month of April, pastors from more than 20 local churches preached sermons urging their congregations to find out who their neighbors are and what they need. Electa Draper of the Denver Post summarizes the basics:

Get to know at least eight of the households nearest yours. Start by learning names and introducing yourself. Look for opportunities to be helpful. Gather at least once during the summer for a block party.

The needs evident in this part of Denver are many and familiar. Foreclosed homes, out-of-work parents, neglected children and neglected homes, shut-ins, roaming teenagers. It is an area that has been hit hard by the recession, to be sure, but it is also a place where the social ills are ordinary.

What I find remarkable about this program, besides its simplicity, is that it is ecumenical in the most basic sense. The list of participants includes Pentecostals and Lutherans, Catholics and “Bible churches.” There are megachurches and tiny parish churches. For once, the vast spectrum of political and theological difference matters little. The directions are concrete and almost universally applicable, even if they may be a challenge to carry out.

I, for one, immediately began to count the number of people on my street that I know. I had a moment of self-examination as I noticed how I actively avoid some of the neediest families near me. Yes, I do a lot for my community. But I also avoid my neighbors for fear of getting sucked into their dramas. All of these "social ills" are evident on my very own block, and I don't get near them. 

The number of people involved in the Building Blocks program could be as many as 16,000, given the membership of the various churches. If each of those people reaches out to eight others and is able to offer even a small amount of help or a little understanding, the result could transform one small corner of Denver. It’s an idea worth building on.

Comments

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